Tong



Sept; 30, 1952 Filed March 26, 1948 w. L. CHURCH TONG 5 Sheets-Sheet 1EMFM p 1952 w. CHURCH 6 r 2,612,066

6 f 6 Filed March 26, 1948 6 Sfieets-Sheet 2 I MM AM H JTI'OIP/VEK 5Sheets- Sheet. 5 I

Qmlk l,

W. L. CHURCH TONG aw w.

fltromvsr.

rho, N

Sept. 30, 1952 Filed March 26, 1948 Patented Sept. 30, 1952 V f I Thisinvention relates "tom-tong: object of-the inventionis;-to provide :a-tong 0f the "character 'descri-bed specially --designed "for rippinground objects, such :as pipe and 'whose jaws will 'be :applied tcthepipe with substan- *tia'lly equal -pressure.' f L I Tongs for thesame general ;purpose as 'now constructed are of such arrangement thatwh"applied to -a-pipe or other round object the'jaws 'will be engaged withsaid object with unequal pressures thus' eitherrc'ausing slippage of the{tong -n15 *denting -of the pipe because-cf the unequal pressure of thejaws-thereto. .I-tflis -a -p rime object of the-present ="i-ni'le'ntionto provide a tong whichv is of such construction that wheniit is appliedto a pipe or other round Object the tong iaws which surround the gripped-object will fbe applied with substantially equal pressures against theg-rippediobject.

another embodiment of the invention.

Figure 5' is a fragmentary, side elevation thereofas applied tothe-work,

Figure '6 is a- 'cro'ss-sectional view taken o ithe line 6-6- of Figure4,'and

Figure"? is a fragmentary, side elevation-taken from the opposite sidefrom that shown in Figure '3 Referring now more particularly to thedraw- 'ings, 'the numeral 1 designates a tong handle which, :a't-itsinner end, is widened, as indicated in Figure l, and provided with thebearings ,2 and 3 on opposite :margins' of said widened end and the:latter of which is projected forwardly 'zbleyond the former.-

T'hereis anarcuateclamp A one end of which tis :bifurcated :and embracesthe adjacent inner end of ime {handle :andds formed.- with bearingswhich align with the hearing 1.3 and 558116. aligned bearines receivethe duoltxliswhich' :is provided with a conventional head 1 nne.(enichand nut ,on: the ,ot erend,

Elie ,free ,endof :the [clamp :4. has ;a:radial1:y

vturned .ilug 5 which ,is somewhatnarrower than the vertical thickness'of theelamp itself.

ThereJs another .ar.c.uate clamp J Which-op; "poses and is complementaryto the clamp 4.

one -.end of \which embraces the Finn-er *endiflf One :end oi 'ithemlanp 1'1 its extend d M ami.-

Efurcated and embraces the innerend ,of the handle. The embraced -;endpf the :handlesand "the bifurcations .131 :the iclamppf'l have canaligned bearing 8 to receive the bolt 9 whiQh-ismetained in place by:means of 5a.: head- -on :one end and a nuton*the other. I 3

The pivotal pointv of connection of the :clamp 'l to *the "handle :is.spaced routwardly; relative also, the handle, with respect to thepivotal point to: ':-connection :of 'the clamp r41-with the lhandle;

' Adjacent the 'freewend of the eclamp :it "is 1provided-with outwardlyextendedsmced, lugs, as ill), and ibetweenithese lugs ethere.iS,-':38-"'b6 11 crank H which'is'pivoted l'OIl'fB; retaining-belt .1 2which .passes through;=sai-d dues. and, 111162111311,crank'betweenithemn ,"This 'bellzcran-k has the .iorwardly arms 13, L4.

'The numeral 115 designates -a connecting link divergin the handle :I 1and :is provided with bearingswhich align with the :bearing :2 :toreceive a :pin 1157811111 the other end :of "the li-nk lfi embraces thearm 13 of the bell crank andiismrovidedwith :bearings twhich align witha bearing 11 ;,p'f-;the"i.be1l crank and these alignedrbearings-receiv,e earsecuring pin =l'8. The (clamp 1 :is:provided with :the.nutwartlly "extended side guards in, (1a, as-inidicated in ;Fig=- ure7, which extend the full length ,cifsaidclamp l and which extend out:beyond Zthe I'link '15 (and which form gashield tor guard for said Jim;:and "which, in operation of the 'itong, :clear the, pins H3, l8. i

' =There;is:a:securing latch *l fl one end 'o'f'which embraces the hellcrank arm'fl fl :and :is rprovided with -bearings which :align with theshearing Z0 of said arm 5M :toreceive a securinglboitxll which passesthrough the corresponding gendswofthe latch and through the hearing :28.V

The free end of the latch tfi 'tis'formed with :a'- crossb,ar :22":which is .gengageable zover' the lug 6, as shown in Figure 1;

, The ilatchrischeld in releasable-engagement with therlug' 6 by means.of a-pull spring :iiilz, one end of which isecontlectedtotherlafich'gand the 0111161 Lend of which is connected--to the :iree

-..,end;,of:th ec1amp r v r'l he tree's-end ,cqf the :latQh has a handgrip l3 ior releasing or handling the {latch and the bell crank H has ahandgggrip :24 rferamanipu- ,lati lg said lbell crank; also the :end. of;the oiai'np :4 is provided with :a-rhand, rip brmeans. {ET I which saidclamp A. ,may .be,manipulated. I I

There are the arcuate jaws Z6 and 21 which have external arcuate ribs 28and 29 on their outer sides and which are considerably shorter than thejaws themselves.

In assemblying the jaws 26, 21 with their corresponding clamps the ribs28, 29 may be inserted into the corresponding arcuate grooves 38 and 3!in the inner margins of the respective clamps 4 and 1. Upon insertionthe ribs 28, 29 will abut opposing shoulders 32 and 33 in the clamps 4and 1 and positioned to suitably limit the extent of the insertion ofthe jaws into said clamps and the clamps 4 and 1 are provided withradially working spring latches 34 and 35 which engage behind the rearends of said ribs 28 and 29, as shown in Figure 1, to latch said jaws inplace. These latches 34, 35 may be easily withwithin the head there is atransverse bar 5| having tapering faces 52 which contact with theopposing faces 50. The opposite margin of the bar 5| is provided withrack teeth 53 which are in mesh with the teeth 40 of the handle la. Theinner sides of the gripping jaws 46, 41 and 49 are provided with teethwhich may, if desired, be formed on independent inserts 31 on the innersides of said jaws in the same manner as shown inFigure =1. When thetong of the type shown in Figure 4 is applied to and latched about thepipe and the handle la actuated in the direction indicated by the arrowin Figure 4 the intermeshing teeth 40 and 53 will force the bar 5! indrawn to permit removal of thecorresponding aws.

j The gripping jaws are provided with inside teeth to engage with theobject to be turned, such as a pipe 36. Preferably these teeth are onindependent inserts 31 carried by the inner sides of the jaws so thatwhen the teeth become dull the inserts may be readily removed andreplaced with new ones.

In operation the tong may be applied to the pipe in the usual way andthe latch l9 engaged over the lug 6. The tong handle may then beactuated in the direction indicated by the arrow in Figure 1.

This will cause the pivoted ends of the clamps '4, 1 to be drawn towardeach other and will at the same time exert a pull on the link l5 and onthe corresponding arm i3 of the bell crank l i and the other end of saidbell crank will exert a pull, through the latch i8, on the free end ofthe clamp 4. Said bell crank being fulcrumed on the free end of theclamp I, the free ends of the clamps will be also forced toward eachother. The parts are so proportioned that the hinged ends of the clampsand the latched ends will be moved toward each other equal distanceswhen the handle I is actuated in the direction above indicated so thatthe jaws will be applied to the pipe with equal force all the wayaround.

Referring to the embodiment illustrated in Figure 4 the numeral 38designates the head of the tong to one end of which the handle la ispivoted.

The pivoted end of the handle is inserted into a slot 39 in said headand is formed with an arcuate rack face 40.

Pivoted to the opposite end of the head, on bolts 4|, 4| a are theclamps 42, 43 provided with the hand grips 44, 45 by means of which theymay be swung into open and closed position.

Pivoted to the free end of the clamp 42 there is a U-shaped latch I 9whose free end is formed with a cross-bar 22 engageabie over the lug 6of the clamp 43 and releasably maintained in such engagement by a pullspring |9a which is connected at one end to said latch and at its otherend to the clamp 42.

The latch is provided with a hand grip 23 for releasing or handling saidlatch.

Within and secured to the clamps 42, 43 are the arcuate jaws 48, 41provided to engage and grip the pipe 36 to be turned.

Within the forward end of the head 38 there is slidably mounted a clamp48 whose end, facing the jaws 46, 41, is arcuate and mounted thereinthere is an arcuate jaw 49 which is complementary to the jaws 48, 41.

The opposite margin'of the clamp 48 is provided with a series oftapering contact faces 5!] which taper in the same direction andslidable the opposite direction causing its tapering faces toride uponthe tapering faces of the clamp 48 thus forcing said clamp toward thepipe and, as is obvious, a similar pull will be exerted on the clampsv42, 43 so that the jaws 46, 41 will be pulled against the pipe with aforce equal to that exerted against the jaw 49.

The toothed inserts in the jaws of both forms should be spaced apartequidistances about. the pipe and upon application of the tong, ofeither form, to the pipe the jaws will be clamped about the pipe withequal force thus giving a better gripping hold on the pipe and reducingthe liability of denting thepipe. i

The tong handle may be equipped with a hanger 54 by means of which thetong may be suspended for application to the work.

The drawings and description are illustrative merely while the broadprinciple of the invention will be defined by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A tong comprising opposed clamping members shaped to surround anobject to be turned, first and second cranks pivotally mounted betweentheir ends adjacent the opposite ends of one of said members, the otherof said members being pivotally connected to one end of said firstcrank, latch means pivotally connected to one end of said second crankand cooperable with the other end of said other of said members to latchthe members in position about said object, link means pivotallyconnecting the other ends of said cranks, and means for rotating saidfirst crank.

2. A tong comprising a handle, a first clamping member pivoted at itsinner end to the handle, a second clamping member disposed in opposingrelation to the first member and pivoted at its inner end to the handleat a point outwardly of the inner end of the first member, said membersbeing shaped to surround an object to be turned, a bell crank pivotallymounted adjacent the outer end of the first member, link means pivotallyconnected to one arm of the bell crank and to said handle, and latchmeans pivotally connected to the other arm of the bell crank andengage'able with the outer end of the second member to latch the membersabout said object.

3. A tong comprising a handle, a first clamping member pivoted at itsinner end to the handle, a second clamping member disposed in opposingrelation to the first member and pivoted at its inner end to the handleat a point outwardly of the inner end of the first member, said membersbeing shaped to surround an object to be turned, a bell crank pivotallymounted adjacent the outer end of the first member, a'link pivotallyconnected at one end to one arm of the bell crank and at the other endto the handle at a point laterally spaced from the innerends of themembers and latch means reieasably connecting the other arm of the bellcrank and the outer end of the second member to latch the members aboutsaid object.

4. A tong comprising a handle, a first clamping member pivoted at itsinner end to the handle, a second clamping member pivoted at its innerend to the handle at a point outwardly of the inner end of the firstmember, a bell crank pivotally mounted adjacent the outer end of thefirst member, a link pivotally connected at one end to one arm of thebell crank and at the other end to the handle at a point laterallyspaced from the inner ends of the members, latch means pivotallyconnected to the other arm of the bell crank and releasably engageablewith the outer end of the second member and gripping means disposedbetween the members and adapted to surround and grip an object to beturned.

5. A tong comprising a handle, opposed clamping members pivoted at theirinner ends to the handle at spaced points thereon, said members beingshaped to surround an object to be turned, a bell crank pivotallymounted adjacent the outer end of one of said members, link meanspivotally connected to one arm of the bell crank and having a pivotalconnection with the handle at a point spaced from the inner ends 01 themembers. and latch means pivotally connected to the other arm of thebell crank and engageable with the outer end of the other of saidmembers to latch the members about said object.

WALTER L. CHURCH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent;

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,447,327 Roye Mar. 6, 19231,588,619 Roye et al. June 15, 1926 1,611,808 Bessolo Dec. 21, 19261,635,031 Champion 1 July 5, 1927 1,869,631 Swanson Aug. 2, 19321,900,378 Baash et al. -1 Mar. 7, 1933 1,919,468 Jones July 25, 19332,223,132 Roberts Nov. 26, 1940 2,278,439 Grau et al April 7, 19422,406,520 Wilson Aug. 27, 1946 2,423,326 Jones July 1, 1947 2,466,032Lundeen Apr. 5, 1949

